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Saturday, January 7th, 2017

Study: Coastal NC Officials Not Willing To Prepare For Sea Level Rise

Author:     Jess Clark
Source:     WUNC 91.5 North Carolina npr
Publication Date:     Jan 2, 2017
Link: Study: Coastal NC Officials Not Willing To Prepare For Sea Level Rise
Stephan:   The truth is that there are large parts of the American coast, where Republicans govern, that are not going to be properly prepared for climate change particularly sea rise.   This report describes the reality of politics in North Carolina, one such state. I do not envy people living in North Carolina, Louisiana Alabama, Florida. If you live in such an area and plan to live there for a long time, I urge you to start your own planning. With, if you can, your local community. It is going to be very painful, and it is important to begin planning now.

Sea level rise over the North Carolina Coast.
Credit: www.biogeocreations.com

Coastal Carolina officials may not be willing to prepare for climate change until it’s too late, according to a new study out of N.C. State and Appalachian State Universities. (emphasis added)

Appalachian State University researcher Brian Bulla surveyed local officials in 20 coastal counties and found that knowledge of the science behind climate change didn’t make officials more willing to prepare their communities for impacts like sea-level rise.

To Bulla, the findings raised concerns.

“It seems to suggest that just providing people − whether public officials or the general public − with more or better information is not necessarily going to increase adaptive action,” he said.

Since 1870, global sea level has risen by about 7.5 inches, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which further estimates global sea levels will rise at a greater rate during the next century.

Sea level change from about 1870 to 2000, based on coastal tide gauge data.
Credit Global Climate Change / NASA

Bulla […]

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3 Comments

  1. Steven K Hovland on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 5:15 am

    The most realistic planning people can do is to move to higher ground before they are forced to move, at which point their property will be worthless.

  2. Mark R on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 6:47 am

    The policy perfectly suits NC.

    • Will on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 12:20 pm

      Hey Mark R, I don’t fully understand your antipathy for NC but I take offense every time you post about my state. I grew up on a tobacco farm in eastern NC then moved away for 30+ years returning in 2000. This is a state that had been blessed with far sighted, educated, progressive leaders and one that is also cursed by a too many numb skulls who are about power, money and morality-if it supports the other two. The republicans took over in 2010 then sealed the deal in 2012-all branches all the time. They are clearly running the ALEC agenda and if we left/socialist/godless/fags/bleeding hearts don’t like it, all the better. After 100+ years out of power pay back is a bitch.

      All that said you seem to chose to offend for what reason? There are many of us that don’t like/hate what is happening but feel unable to stop the wackos. It seems god, money and redistricting “trumps” all past efforts. For some this is the beginning blessed Libertarian, government off my back and out of my business, state.